Arcata High Students are currently getting enveloped in a sort of “Grunge Revival,” which is interesting because we weren’t alive back then. So what’s the reason? The main way students are obsessed with the 90s is through music, primarily through the resurgence of the grunge music aesthetic that is happening here in Humboldt.
“It’s just good music,” a senior and member of the Humboldt “grunge revolution,” Ell Franklin said.
Along with the music being good she also cited the comfortability and accessibility of the clothing as another reason why grunge has re-awoken. Citing the fact that most grunge-associated clothing
can be found at thrift stores or are hand-me-downs from family.
Another huge reason why grunge is coming back is because grunge is a Pacific Northwest genre, spawning out of a rural town not that dissimilar to our own. When Nirvana released “Nevermind” on September 24, 1991, the whole music industry changed. Specifically with the albums 3 main singles: “In Bloom,” “Come as You Are,” and of course, arguably the biggest song of all time “Smell like Teen Spirit.” These songs along with other singles from Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains have continued to influence and shape the way teenagers think about music and themselves in general.
It’s also steeped in teenage angst, with many lyrics of bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden resonating heavily with both teenagers then and now. It also helps that Nirvana is arguably the most well-known rock band of all time. And really in the end even if you aren’t a part of this grunge revival you can’t deny the continued impact that Nirvana and grunge have had on this little country of ours. If you aren’t an active grunge listener and want to know more about the genre and some good song recommendations, here’s my grunge essentials list:
The first four tracks, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “In Bloom,” “Come As You Are,” and “Heart-Shaped Box,” represent the dominance that Nirvana had over grunge and also show how grunge became mainstream.
The next 6 songs show the other three primary grunge bands, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains, at their artistic peak. The songs are split 2-2-2 with Soundgarden having “Black Hole Sun” and “My Wave.” Pearl Jam has “Even Flow” and “Alive.” and Alice in Chains with “Man in the Box” and “Would?”
The two songs after that are from The Smashing Pumpkins, who are not really a grunge band, but their first few albums were either heavily influenced by or were straight-up grunge. The two songs representing that are “1979” and “Bullet with Butterfly Wings.”
The rest of the songs are from bands that were massive inspirations to Nirvana and Grunge in general. From Metallica to Pixies to Led Zepplin to even Creedence Clearwater Revival.
